Brees letting the team down

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; What was priceless last night was when the debacle was finally over last nite did uall see the monkeys running all over the field. It really showed on there faces that the monkey had fell. Not just matty icecycle but ...

What was priceless last night was when the debacle was finally over last nite did uall see the monkeys running all over the field. It really showed on there faces that the monkey had fell. Not just matty icecycle but all of them. Even fits smith turned white again. It was priceless.

' but one play in particular last night punched me in the face ... the dump pass over the middle to Sproles with no timeouts & 12 seconds left in the half.

It's one of those moments when you realize your heroes are just mortal ... like Superman and kryptonite

The armor cracked ... at that moment, the moment Brees was seemingly not aware of the timeclock, was the moment the weight of the offseason, of Payton not being on the sidelines, of the 0-4 start, the contract negotiations, the pressure of trying to put the team on his shoulders ... it all came crashing down like a rogue wave and swept him out to sea (IMO) ... even if just for a moment. I felt for the guy, I truly did. That's the problem with people putting someone on a pedestal, they always let you down, eventually.

Speaking of the Superman thing, I think that Brees WAS aware, he KNEW it was absurdly tight, but he honestly *thought* he could get to the line and miraculously spike it with less than 00:01 second left and they would give it to him. But of course he couldn't. And I don't think he even realized he couldn't, which is where it gets so dangerous.

The letdown is not that YOU realized Drew is mortal, Slo -- the letdown is that HE didn't realize it.

It has a lot to do with the "personality" of the team this year.

I think without Sean Payton around to ground them, and focus them, this team has kind of departed from reality. They were only one foot in reality with Payton anyway, or just barely touching the two toes in bounds before they went out into unreality and craziness, but now without Payton it's gotten dramatically worse. Dysfunctional even.

All the bad stuff that was inside their heads mentally, that Payton usually could keep in check, it all came out into the open this year, without him -- thinking they were invincible, the lackadaisical attitude on defense, the horrible playcalling and use of weapons, being kinda spoiled, players seemed to be expecting things to bounce their way and just happen automatically with ease for them. And mainly the hero trip that Drew gets on, where he only seems like he's happy if he's behind the 8 ball, or keeps making it harder and harder for himself.

So without Payton, Drew is the acknowledged leader of the team this year. Everyone agreed on that. And sure enough, Drew took that weird internal psychological thing he has -- the whole 5'11", back-against-the-wall, mountain-climbing, chip-on-the-shoulder, us-against-the-world mentality he's had his whole career -- and amplified it, he bought other guys into it, and he somehow drove the whole team into this ginormous hole with it, all season long, deeper and deeper. Almost blindly at times, like he couldn't see it happening.

I could not agree with this post more.
In Drew Brees, I see a guy who is giving everything he has to help this team win. That has caused him to in sports terms "try do too much."
Quarterbacks throw interceptions. Just like offensive lineman give up sacks, safeties have interceptions go through their hands, linebackers miss tackles, wide receivers drop passes in the end zone and coaches call the plays in a wrong series or at the wrong time.
All of which happened last night. This was a team loss. Sure Drew did more of his part to make the loss happen, but that's because nobody on this team is capable of taking the burden off his shoulders. Teams win games when their QB's don't play well, see Atlanta, this is not one of those teams. Hasn't been in a while.

... Dysfunctional even ... -- thinking they were invincible, the lackadaisical attitude on defense, the horrible playcalling and use of weapons, being kinda spoiled, players seemed to be expecting things to bounce their way and just happen automatically with ease for them ...

You mean, without Payton, they've become, <gasp>, the Falcons? , say it isn't so! J/K and point taken, I appreciate the perspective, .

Graham penalty & Moore drop were big, if both those hadn't happened it would have been 21-17 at one point. It didn't happen that way, those that could have helped take the pressure off Brees didn't, they made mistakes too. It was a team loss & no one was perfect, but the defense played pretty good for the most part. I wish Harper would wrap up guys instead of shoulder tackling but he's a pro & I'm a fan.

It is always the TEAM that wins and the TEAM that loses. Just that in Saints recent history often times Brees gets the plaudits when we win more so than the TEAM or any other individual.

So I think it is fair also to look at Brees and / or other on-field captains and / or the coaches holding clipboards on the sidelines when we lose. And in this game and the one last week, Brees is at least highly contributory to our losses.

Did you read what I said

in this game and the one last week

.
I did not say he was no good for our TEAM now or at any time previously. He messed up in those 2 games and there shoud be no "ifs", "buts" etc about other games because I am talking about 2 games in particular.
It is a real shame because he helped pull us back into an unlikely chance for play-offs but in a flash put us out.

Graham penalty & Moore drop were big, if both those hadn't happened it would have been 21-17 at one point. It didn't happen that way, those that could have helped take the pressure off Brees didn't, they made mistakes too. It was a team loss & no one was perfect, but the defense played pretty good for the most part. I wish Harper would wrap up guys instead of shoulder tackling but he's a pro & I'm a fan.

The problem with the Graham penalty is that play is a timing screen to Sproles.
For whatever reason Drew held the ball an extra second and Graham had his back towards the play. He couldn't see that the ball wasn't already thrown which is why it was a penalty. If Drew throws that ball 1/2 second sooner, it becomes a block not a penalty. It was a real ticky tack call because it didn't effect the play but by rule Graham couldn't touch the defender while the ball is in the air. But again Drew was late on throws all night.

The only person to blame for this loss is Drew Brees. The defense did exceptional.

Drew's not the only person to blame. Some of it is on Carmichael's shoulders; him and his pedestrian play calling! He needs to not abandon the run, especially when its working. This is the second week in the row he's done that and as a result Drew has to throw the ball more than he needs to.